


Softly Into Silence

by Lacerta26



Series: Keep Your Enemies Closer [4]
Category: Kingsman (Movies)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Different First Meeting, Anal Fingering, Anal Sex, Barebacking, Explicit Sexual Content, M/M, Oral Sex, Rimming
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-02-27
Updated: 2019-02-27
Packaged: 2019-11-06 17:43:59
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,077
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17944229
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lacerta26/pseuds/Lacerta26
Summary: ‘Clarissa,’ Harry is not even remotely surprised she’s sat at the table he’s reserved at his favourite Japanese restaurant instead of Eggsy.‘To what do I owe the pleasure?’‘I wanted to talk to you about Eggsy.’*Harry and Eggsy's first proper date doesn't begin exactly as planned.





	Softly Into Silence

**Author's Note:**

> That's that then!
> 
> Thank you so much for reading. 
> 
> Comments and kudos always wonderful. If you have any ideas for little stories from this universe do let me know and I may be inspired!
> 
> Title from For Your Eyes Only.

‘Clarissa,’ Harry is not even remotely surprised she’s sat at the table he’s reserved at his favourite Japanese restaurant instead of Eggsy. And yet it really doesn’t look good on Kingsman if an agent can be ambushed by known hostiles while on a date. First Eggsy, now Clarissa. He really must get Arthur to threaten to dock Merlin’s pay if this doesn’t let up.

‘Harry, always a delight to see you,’ she says, offering her hand.

Clarissa is Harry’s age, closely cropped hair framing a kindly face. Harry always used to tease her that she dressed like an art teacher; he doesn’t doubt she could kill someone with a paintbrush if the need arose. People tend to be mildly surprised when Harry gets handy with his umbrella so he shouldn’t judge.

‘To what do I owe the pleasure?’

‘I wanted to talk to you about Eggsy.’

Ah, he’d expected this. He had hoped he and Eggsy could coast on their attraction to each other for a while longer. Now Clarissa is going to let him in on their little scheme and crow about having so successfully got under Harry’s skin; all it took was Eggsy’s easy smiles and devilish sense of humour. Harry deserves it really, for falling for it so completely. Or perhaps she’s annoyed that Eggsy conspired to extend their game beyond that first evening, that Harry has used his not inconsiderable skill to lure Eggsy away from Quercus. He decides to run with the latter rather than admit, even to himself, that he might he have fallen for a patently obvious honey trap; he should know better.

‘I’m not trying to recruit him to Kingsman if that’s your concern.’

‘I couldn’t give a toss about that Harry. Now, sit down you’re causing a scene.’

The assembled clientele are very politely choosing to ignore the fact that Harry has not sat down with his dining companion but he takes a seat opposite Clarissa feeling appropriately chastened anyway and accepts a menu and a glass of nearly acceptable riesling from the waiter. Clarissa’s left him with his back to the restaurant, a deliberate ploy to keep him on edge, and she’s looking at him sharply when he glances back up. How had he forgotten that her eyes were such a piercing shade of blue?

‘You must forgive my little joke when I first sent Eggsy out to meet you. I never for a minute believed you were still _quite_ that easy although I had heard the rumours.’

So she’s here to gloat, to tell him Eggsy isn’t coming and they’ve all had a good laugh at his expense. He aims for haughty but is still comes out a touch heartbroken, ‘where is Eggsy? I would hate to waste our reservation on you.’

‘Don’t be a fool. You’re smarter than that.’

‘Than what?’ playing dumb has never been Harry's way but he gamely gives it a go.

‘Eggsy will be here momentarily, I merely delayed him for a while.’

‘Then what the fuck do you want?’

‘Language! I sent Eggsy to our meeting to flirt with you, to pick your pockets. _He_ chose to take you up on your offer to go to bed together. _He_ chose to stay in touch. If he wants to leave Quercus and join you that’s his look out. You’d be lucky to have him. God know you old stiffs at Kingsman could do with some young blood.’

Harry ignores the dig at Kingsman, ‘what could you and I possibly have to discuss then? I’m afraid the boat sailed rather a long time ago on any chance of reconciliation between Kingsman and Quercus. Or between you and I for that matter.’

‘How long have we known each other, Harry?’

Harry pauses, nonplussed by the question seemingly apropos of nothing, ‘30 years, give or take? You were a year above me at Cambridge. Clare College was it?’

‘Quite. So we’ve known each other longer that Eggsy’s been alive? So I can be candid with you, Harry, and I know you’ll take this seriously?’

Harry blinks stupidly, her tone is serious, sharp, but there’s something softer there, something like concern.

‘Yes. Of course.’

‘Good. Eggsy means a great deal to me. Not just as an employee. His connection to the agency goes back further than you might think.’

Harry settles back into his chair, this is not where he thought this conversation was headed. He raises his eyebrows, invitation for Clarissa to continue, uninterrupted.

‘His father was a Quercus agent. He died on duty, saving several lives, including my own. I took it upon myself to look out for his son, keep an eye, provide him with the opportunity to go to university if he chose to do so.’

Harry sneers then. He’s heard Eggsy allude to his stepfather obliquely; violence and uncertainty seem to have characterised his childhood. He hadn’t questioned how Eggsy paid for university but it seems Clarissa had the classic Quercus response.

‘So you just threw money at the problem? Wouldn’t sorting out his obnoxious stepfather have been a more productive use of resources?’

‘We provided him with the means. And we _kept an eye_. Made sure nothing got out of hand. What do Kingsman do when an agent dies? Still handing out favours?’ her voice is calm but dripping with disapproval.

‘You could have saved him a great deal of suffering.’

‘If we had simply given him the money it would have gone straight into the pocket of his stepfather. And how do you suggest we could have prevented his mother from selecting unsatisfactory partners? You don’t get to be high and mighty about this, Harry, you’ve only known him for six months. I’ve known him since he was five years old.’

Harry flounders, mouth open before he can formulate a response and Clarissa sees the opening, swoops in for the kill.

‘What do you want from him, Harry?’

‘I…’

‘Because if you’re just going to break his heart I warn you, you won’t like the consequences. He’s had a tough life, despite our best efforts, and he’s worked hard to get where he is. To provide for his mother and his sister. I won’t have you hurting him.’

Harry sobers, looks her dead in the eye, here at least he can be honest, ‘I assure you I have absolutely no intention of hurting him.’

‘Intentions are one thing, actions another. He likes you, Harry, god knows why…’

‘I seem to remember you liked me at one point…’ Harry says, can’t resist, but Clarissa doesn’t return his grin.

‘I wanted to shag you. Entirely different,’ and she is smiling now, ‘I got over that quite quickly with, Merlin, I believe his name was? Lovely man.’

Harry fights the urge to scoff at _that_ revelation, ‘Eggsy is a grown man. If he’s free, as you say, to make his own choices regarding his employment surely he can do the same when it comes to potential partners. And it would appear he’s made his choice.’

‘You forget your reputation precedes you. Eggsy is exactly your type is he not? How do you think I was able to send you someone who could so quickly catch your eye? And what do you normally do; sleep with your conquests and never see them again? Isn’t that what you tried to do to Eggsy?’

‘Are you spying on me?’ it comes out like a joke but he knows the answer is yes. God he hates his job sometimes.

‘Of course I’m fucking spying on you! I have to get my laughs somewhere. Ask Merlin when you get back to the shop what intelligence he has on me.’

‘I’m not asking Merlin a single thing about you. I’d like to keep some of my dinner down, thank you. If I even get to eat any dinner,’ he glares at her meaningfully and she actually softens in her seat slightly.

‘I don’t want to interfere in your life. I’m just looking out for Eggsy. It can’t have escaped your notice that you’re a lot older than he is how can you be sure you want the same thing from this? From what he’s said communication is not your strong suit.’

‘Christ, you sound like his mother.’

‘And you are old enough to be his father! See sense, Harry. I’m not one to limit the happiness of a fellow agent. Lord knows we see enough misery in our line of work and if you’re only going to add to his, if all you’re going to do is string him along and drop him when you get bored, I ask that you do it sooner rather than later. Spare him; at least a little. You’re a hard man to get over, Harry Hart.’

Harry has had his hand forced on more than one occasion, has had to do so many unpleasant things and yet rarely is he made to confront his more morally dubious behaviour. When he first approached Eggsy he saw a beautiful boy he could seduce, a bit of fun, nothing too serious but Eggsy has seduced him in turn. Not just with his body, or his charisma but with his sense of humour, his sensitivity. Despite his best efforts Eggsy has been on his mind since they met. He had been looking forward to this date, to getting to know Eggsy better, to see where this could take them. To find out if it’s more than chemistry and the thrill of doing something they shouldn’t. Admitting all that to himself, to Eggsy, is one thing but to Clarissa?

Clarissa doesn't give an inch which is why Harry is startled by Eggsy at his elbow, ‘Hello Harry, Clarissa? What are you doing here? Is everything OK?’

‘Oh, Harry and I were just catching up, old friends and all that,’ says Clarissa, ‘don’t worry I’ll leave you to it. Think about what I said Harry.’

Clarissa stands to offer Eggsy her chair, squeezes Harry’s shoulder as she passes him to leave.

Sitting down opposite Harry, Eggsy accepts a menu and rattles off a couple of dishes to the waiter. Harry is momentarily stunned into silence before he says, ‘yes, that sounds great I’ll have the same.’

Eggsy laughs, ‘What? I’ve had sushi before I’m not a total philistine.’

Harry pretends to gasp, ‘and such big words too.’

‘Shut up. You’ll have to pick the wine though I know piss all about that.’

‘The cocktails here are excellent. We’ll have two martinis, please,’ he smiles to the waiter who nods in acquiescence.

Eggsy watches as the waiter walks away, raises his eyebrows at Harry, ‘so, was Clarissa asking if your intentions towards me are pure? I hope you assured her they absolutely weren’t,’ and winks.

There’s no point in lying, Eggsy is a spy after all, ‘she was warning me that I wouldn’t like the consequences if I hurt you.’

‘Are you planning on hurting me?’

‘No of course not.’

‘Well then, that’s all anyone can promise ain’t it?’

‘You’re not bothered by how much older I am than you? My reputation? Clarissa must have told you some stories.’

Eggsy shrugs, ‘she said she knew you at Cambridge and that you were a dickhead,’ he cocks his head and smiles, ‘I think she fancies you.’

‘Perhaps a long time ago. Not anymore.’

‘Well _I_ fancy you. And no, I don’t care that you’re older than me, do you?’

Harry shakes his head, ‘you can see why other people might?’

‘There are lots of things other people might not like I don’t see why we should let it stop us. I _like_ you Harry. I want to see where this goes. If it doesn’t work it doesn’t work but let’s give it a try, eh?’

‘When did you get so smart?’

‘Certainly not a Oxford.’

Harry manages to keep a straight face, ‘obviously. That place definitely makes people stupider.’

Eggsy laughs, throws back his head to reveal the delicious column of his throat, that beauty spot that Harry has been obsessing over, easy and delighted in Harry’s company and it makes Harry even more certain Clarissa will never have to follow through on her threats.

‘Your mate Merlin isn’t gonna try and warn me off you is he? I imagine his methods might be closer to a bag over the head in an alleyway.’

‘If he tries anything of the sort I’ll kill him, don’t worry, darling.’

Eggsy catches hold of Harry’s hand from across the table, ‘is this the first time a Kingsman and a Quercus agent have been doing the dirty? Clarissa wouldn’t tell me.’

‘No, I believe Lady Amelia Rawlings who headed up Kingsman in the 1980s, and the only woman so far to do so, was in a relationship with the head of Quercus at the time, Beth I think her name was.’

‘Rawlings? But that’s…’

‘Clarissa Rawlings, yes. Lady Amelia was Clarissa’s aunt. Clarissa doesn’t like to talk about it because she thinks it’s disloyal to Quercus. A Kingsman agent in the family, for shame!’

Eggsy grins, clearly tucking the information away for future use, face delighted but shrewd. Harry's not seen him look like that before, he wants to catalogue every second of it.

Their food arrives but Harry is so intent on Eggsy he barely registers a mouthful.

 

‘Thank you for a wonderful evening,’ says Harry and presses a chaste kiss to Eggsy’s lips, stood on St James’s Street under a streetlight. The noise of Piccadilly is somehow dimmed by the moment of parting; Eggsy looks beautiful, flushed and smiling, and all Harry wants to do is haul him home and take him apart. But no, he can be strong and take this seriously, court Eggsy as he deserves and not give in to the lust flaring in his veins.

Eggsy laughs incredulously and presses himself closer to Harry’s chest,  ‘are you fuckin' serious, mate? You’re not gonna invite me back to yours?’

‘Well I thought…’

‘It’ll take me ages to get south of the river now and your place is much closer.’

‘I want to treat you right, Eggsy, not just as... _friends with benefits._ ’

‘I think,’ says Eggsy, going up on his toes to wrap his arms around Harry’s neck and pull him closer, ‘that the best way for you to treat me right is to take me home and fuck me until I can’t walk.’

Resisting temptation has never been Harry’s strong suit. He’s a hedonist at heart and Eggsy is so, so tempting.

‘How about I take you home and make love to you until you can’t walk?’ says Harry with a quirk of the eyebrow.

‘Oh, Harry, you sure do know how to make a lad blush,’ says Eggsy, catching his tongue between his teeth because he knows Harry likes it as Harry puts his hand to Eggsy’s jaw because he knows Eggsy likes it.

The night is mild and it's only a half hour stroll so they decide to walk to Harry’s; a balm for the heat simmering between them, hand in hand and talking quietly the whole way.

 

It’s softer somehow to have Eggsy in his house this time. Harry watches as Eggsy toes off his shoes by the door, hangs his jacket on a hook and walks with such certainty to the sitting room because he knows his way around, because he feels comfortable here. Harry sets his shoes next to Eggsy’s, chucks his coat over the banister and takes the stairs two at a time. Eggsy’s perusing the bookshelves; Harry doesn’t even mind that Eggsy’s helped himself to a drink without asking, simply crosses the room and kisses the peaty, smoky taste off his lips.

‘Let’s go to bed, Harry.’

He says it because it’s true and he wants to hear it out loud: ‘you know the way.’

In the bedroom Harry settles against the pillows, stretches languorously, and says, ‘strip for me.’

In their previous encounters time had been of the essence or, more to the point, desperation got the better of them and they couldn’t wait to get to skin. Harry intends to savour this moment, given licence to enjoy it as the beginning of something rather than its potential end. And his appreciation of Eggsy’s body knows no bounds.

Eggsy cocks his head to one side, one knee on the end of Harry’s bed, ‘pervert.’

Harry holds up his hands, ‘guilty. Now, come on, let me see you,’ as Eggsy goes back to standing.

Eggsy’s not wearing a suit tonight, the favoured uniform of intelligence agents everywhere, or his casual clothes from their pub date but something in between, what Harry might guess at being the ‘date night’ attire for young men everywhere; dark jeans, well pressed but soft dove grey shirt. It looks good on him, Harry resists the urge to mention it would look better on his floor.

Eggsy’s starts with his socks, flinging them behind him with a grin, ‘ain’t a person on earth that can take socks off in a sexy way.’

‘If you put your mind to it, dearest.’

Eggsy rolls his eyes but starts on the cuffs of his shirt, ‘now _this_  I can do sexy.’

‘Less talking more doing,’ Harry says, lets a chuckle warm his voice to show Eggsy he absolutely doesn’t have to stop talking.

Eggsy undoes the buttons at his cuffs, shakes them loose, revealing his strong forearms before reaching for the top buttons of his shirt; Harry’s mouth actually goes a little dry at the tendons in his wrists flexing as he flicks them open. In the low light his chest glows golden, the light smattering of hair endlessly tempting. Eggsy reaches the last few buttons, raises his eyebrows and turns, giving Harry the boundless joy of watching his strong freckled shoulders, the delicious curve of his back as he drops his shirt to the floor. There’s a bruise spreading across his his ribs on to his back. Harry wants to touch, feel the tender skin beneath his fingertips and see what noise Eggsy will make.

‘Go on then,’ he says as Eggsy turns back round, the perfect washboard of his abs a momentary distraction, ‘how did you get that?’

‘Wouldn’t you like to know,’ says Eggsy, then because he is irrepressible, ‘I had to get out of Sorrento in a hurry last week and some mercenaries weren’t happy about it. Doesn’t spoil the view too much does it?’

There’s teasing in his tone but all Harry can do is be honest, ‘you’re beautiful, always,’ and watch as Eggsy blushes.

‘I can make it even better,’ says Eggsy, hands to his belt as he pulls it slowly from the loops of his jeans. The snap it makes when he pulls it free makes Harry’s prick twitch in his trousers, he’s been half hard since they got through the front door and it suddenly feels like the distance between them is too much.

‘Come here, Eggsy.’

‘Thought you wanted a show?’

‘And now I want to touch, if I may?’

Eggsy answers by shoving his jeans to the floor and all but launches himself into Harry’s lap, snogging him deep and wet. His skin is hot, burning under Harry’s fingers, and he hisses when Harry skims his fingers over the bruise, squirms in Harry’s lap, kissing at his neck now, teeth scraping and tongue soothing.

‘You’re wearing too many clothes, Harry.’

Harry tips Eggsy to sprawl at his side, getting on to his knees to take off his shirt, his trousers, ‘allow me to rectify that.’

Eggsy grins, pulls Harry down, laughing so they’re pressed together, chest, stomach, thighs. The slide of their dicks, still trapped in their boxers, is heady, addictive. Eggsy’s already rolling his hips against Harry’s and the temptation to carry on, humping like teenagers until they come, messy between them is intoxicating. Harry gathers up his usual iron control to grip Eggsy’s hips to stillness, kiss him softly, ‘let me get you ready, darling.’

Eggsy looks up at him, sweetly flushed and panting, still trying to rock against Harry like it’s involuntary, an impulse he can’t control, ‘OK.’

Harry rolls away to pull off his own briefs, snag the lube from the bedside table and when he turns back Eggsy’s taken off his own boxers. His cock, flushed and drooling against his belly, twitches as Harry sweeps his eyes across his body, lying naked in Harry’s bed, utterly perfect. Harry kisses Eggsy’s knee, the closest spot he can reach and begins laying a path of gentle touches up the soft inside of his thighs, to the sharp cut of his hip, relishing every little sigh the sensation draws out of him. Eggsy spreads his legs as Harry reaches his dick, breathes over it hotly, the most obscene invitation. Harry spares a moment to kiss Eggsy’s balls, suck them gently before he licks up Eggsy’s cock to take it into his mouth.

‘Shit, fuck, Harry,’ Eggsy gasps, hands going straight to Harry’s hair and it makes heat skitter down Harry’s spine. He comes up for a welcome gasp of air, licking gently at the tip, lapping up the taste there, letting his spit coat Eggsy’s cock, his fingers as he strokes down, past Eggsy’s balls to circle his hole. Eggsy’s making soft, delighted sounds, rocking his hips again, pushing his prick gently between Harry’s lips and his arse back onto Harry’s fingers. And it’s lovely, it’s fucking brilliant, but he promised to make love to this boy tonight and it'll be over before it’s begun by the sounds of it.

Harry’s face ends up essentially smushed into Eggsy’s balls as he awkwardly gropes to find the lube. Eggsy just lies there, laughing, petting at Harry’s hair but gasps in pure, unadulterated pleasure when two of Harry’s slick fingers push into him as Harry takes the head of his prick back into his mouth, ‘Harry, Harry, please, can I come, please?’

Harry raises his head to look into Eggsy’s terribly earnest face, ‘do you want to? In my mouth?’ and all Eggsy can do is mutely nod as Harry ducks back down.

Eggsy tenses and shakes apart so beautifully at the point of orgasm, clenching around Harry’s fingers and pulsing across his tongue. Harry stays still and lets him ride it out, suckles his cock as it softens, sweeping his fingers in little pulls across Eggsy’s prostate, until Eggsy bats at his head, laughter clear in his voice, ‘OK, OK, you can fuck me now,’

‘You’re sure? You don’t need a moment?’

‘Nope, it’s time you got yours, come on,’ Eggsy says, pulls Harry up so they’re eye level, face creasing into a heart-stopping smile, ‘hello, Harry.’

All Harry can do is kiss him, through the sudden fondness seizing his chest, kiss him until the kisses escalate and Eggsy is halfway hard again, Harry’s prick sliding in the wet crack of his arse, an endless temptation. Eggsy’s stills them with his forehead pressed to Harry’s to whisper, ‘go on, do it like this, do me bare.’

Harry can’t suppress the groan he makes at that, ‘Eggsy, we shouldn’t, I…’

‘Don’t worry I’m clean, you are too,’ he must see the doubt mixed with desire in Harry’s face, Harry knows he’s clean and he might have had Merlin find Eggsy’s latest test results, but _still_.

Eggsy barrels on, ‘Clarissa hacked into your Kingsman records, I might have looked out the medical ones. And I know your Merlin looked up mine.’

Harry laughs then, god the pair of them, ‘you couldn’t go to a Quercus doctor? Dean Street is woefully unsecured you know.’

‘As if that could stop you. Anyway, maybe I wanted you to find them.’

Christ, this boy really will be the death of him.

Eggsy kisses him on the cheek, painfully sincere, ‘we don’t have to,’ and Harry shifts his hips, feels his dick catch on the soft rim of Eggsy’s hole and comes to a lot of decisions that start with fucking this boy into the mattress and probably end with falling in love with him.

The slow slide inside is heaven, Eggsy hot and wet around him, opening so beautifully, mouth open on punched out gasps like he’s never felt this before and Harry supposes he hasn’t, not exactly.

‘Sweetheart?’ Harry says, a question and reassurance both, and Eggsy just nods, eyes screwed shut in bliss as they begin to move.

Harry rocks his hips steadily, barely pulling out on each thrust, dropping light kisses to Eggsy’s slack mouth. Everything is hot and sweaty around them, the sounds they’re making enveloping and it’s almost too much, unbearable pleasure barrelling down on Harry too quickly and he’d so wanted this to last. Eggsy opens his eyes, then, gaze locked with Harry’s and smiles, beatific, and Harry summons up the breath to say, ‘Eggsy, darling, I’m not going to last.’

Eggsy’s smile goes impossibly wider, rolls his hips up to meet Harry’s, ‘go on, Harry, come for me, come _in_ me,’ and Harry is lost.

In the midst of his orgasm he must have pulled out and rolled away because he opens his eyes to see Eggsy, cock still hard, two fingers playing with the come dripping out of his hole. Quite frankly Harry has had far too many brushes with death to go out on a heart attack from watching a beautiful boy finger himself in Harry’s bed so he grabs Eggsy by the thighs to yank him down the bed, ‘Harry, what the fuck? Oh…’ and lick a broad stripe between his cheeks. He laps at the taste of himself against Eggsy’s skin, familiar and strange all at once. Little licks, just to taste, become deeper until he's practically fucking Eggsy on his tongue and Eggsy writhes against his face, thighs shaking against Harry’s ears, and when Harry looks up to push two fingers back into him he throws his head back, and comes, mouth open, almost silent.

After some minutes staring at the ceiling, both of them breathing rather harder than their professions would approve of, Eggsy glances a hand through Harry’s hair where his head is pillowed on Eggsy's thigh, ‘wasn’t that worth inviting me back for?’

Harry prods him, then gives the spot a kiss, ‘cheeky. Yes, very much so.’

Eggsy slings his legs out of bed and on to the floor, letting Harry’s head thunk back to the mattress, ‘just gonna clean up.’

‘There’s a spare toothbrush under the sink!’ says Harry, sitting up and running a hand through the lost cause that is his sex hair.

Eggsy turns in the door to the en suite, ‘you want me to stay then?’

He doesn’t just mean the night.

‘Yes, of course.’

 

Harry stands at perfect parade rest beside Arthur as Eggsy and Roxanne are lead into the boardroom at Kingsman’s manor, stoically ignoring the raised eyebrow from Alistair and the smirk from James. Eggsy gives Harry a small, private smile and a rather less private wave.

‘Gentleman,’ says Arthur, clapping his hands, ‘due to diligent diplomatic work from Galahad,’ their are smirks from everyone now, ‘and as a result of ongoing discussions,’ then outright sniggering, ‘agents Salix and Pyrus from Quercus will be joining our team in an effort to bolster interagency diplomacy, share intelligence and strengthen our common goals.’

‘Galahad getting sick of having to go south of the river for a shag is he?’ says James in the exact undertone that carries crystal clear across the room and Alistair starts outright laughing.

Eggsy’s smile falters and Roxanne looks positively murderous. Oh yes, Harry likes her already.

‘You will have plenty of time to enjoy the delights of south London Lancelot, and Percival,’ says Arthur, the smile dropping from Alistair’s face in an instant, ‘as the pair of you will be joining Quercus’ Greenwich office as gesture of solidarity on our part.’

James visibly swallows, as if he's been asked to go to a war zone, which, considering their jobs, is not ever out of the question. It's Alistair that asks, ‘for how long?’

‘The exact period of secondment is as yet undecided but Ilex and I thought about six months would be a good starting point. Now if no one has anything further to say I suggest we raise a glass to our news knights. To Salix and Pyrus,’ Arthur raises his glass, looking pointedly around the room and everyone echoes him; James rather dully a beat behind the rest.

Arthur fixes them all with a sharp look, standing to leave, ‘dismissed.’

The agents attending via their glasses flicker out one by one as everyone in the room stands to chat, James scurrying out after Arthur.

‘Hello Harry,’ says Eggsy beaming, suddenly at Harry’s side, shadowed by Roxanne.

Harry smiles at them in turn, offering Roxanne his hand, ‘Harry Hart, it’s a pleasure.’

‘Roxy Morton. I’ve heard a lot about you,’ her grip is firm, gaze open but penetrating. Roxanne, Roxy, has clearly been listening to Clarissa’s opinions of Harry and his association with Eggsy. He senses winning her over might be a greater challenge than any he’s faced.

Merlin strides over, shaking Eggsy and Roxy’s hands, ‘it’s great to finally meet you, lad,’ and Harry is grateful for his sincerity and his unwavering loyalty to Harry.

‘You probably know more about me than my own mother, eh mate?’ says Eggsy with a grin and Merlin just chuckles, winks.

‘Do you think Lancelot will be ok?’ says Roxy to Merlin.

‘With Clarissa? She’ll eat him alive,’ says Merlin with a wry smile. He and Harry got very drunk, debriefed about Merlin’s one night with Clarissa and then promptly vowed to never talk about it again. Harry’s not sure Merlin remembers that promise.

‘Knowing him he’ll probably enjoy it,’ says Harry.

‘Roxy, perhaps you would like to accompany me to the shooting range?’ says Merlin, ‘Clarissa tells me your marksmanship skills are impeccable.’

Despite her serious exterior Harry can see Roxy flush at the praise. She turns to Eggsy, ‘that alright, Eggs?’

‘Yeah, course, Harry can show me around.’

The room is empty now and Harry turns to the French windows out into the grounds, ‘we’ll start with a walk in the gardens, shall we?’

Eggsy smiles sweetly and takes Harry’s hand as they step outside, ‘sure thing, Harry.’

The sun is shining, spring desperate to make itself known in new beginnings and potential.

‘Well then, welcome to Kingsman, Eggsy.’

 

**Author's Note:**

> Quercus code names are all trees!
> 
> Roxy - Salix = willow
> 
> Eggsy - Pyrus = pear
> 
> Clarissa - Ilex = holly


End file.
